'Seven minutes of terror'

NASA

Curiosity's daring landing sequence included a parachute followed by rockets to fly the rover away from the chute so it wouldn't be smothered. Engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory called the plan "seven minutes of terror." The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured this picture of Curiosity on its way to the Martian surface.

Curiosity's daring landing sequence included a parachute followed by rockets to fly the rover away from the chute so it wouldn't be smothered. Engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory called the plan "seven minutes of terror." The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured this picture of Curiosity on its way to the Martian surface. (NASA)

Curiosity's daring landing sequence included a parachute followed by rockets to fly the rover away from the chute so it wouldn't be smothered. Engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory called the plan "seven minutes of terror." The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured this picture of Curiosity on its way to the Martian surface.